National Guard

Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Report: A Strategic Framework for a Secure Homeland

The Department of Homeland Security has released the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Report (QHSR) “which outlines the strategic framework to guide the activities of participants in homeland security toward a common end.”

The QHSR, a success of a National Dialogue of more than 20,000 stakeholders from all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, “offers a vision for a secure homeland, specifies key mission priorities, outlines goals for each of those mission areas, and lays the necessary groundwork for the subsequent steps.”

The National Dialogue occurred in three phases. Valuable comments and ideas were used by the study groups tasked with writing the QHSR. The First Dialogue was a forum for participant ideas on the goals and objectives developed by DHS study groups. These included: Counterterrorism and Domestic Security Management; Securing Our Borders; Smart and Tough Enforcement of Immigration Laws; Preparing for, Responding to, and Recovering from Disasters; Homeland Security National Risk Assessment; and Homeland Security Planning and Capabilities.

Scholars are invited to submit presentation proposals for the Fourth Annual Homeland Defense and Security Education Summit. Organizers will select 44 for presentation. "Presentations should be on a topic of significance to the homeland security and homeland defense education communities that fall into the theme of the Conference, 'Homeland Security and Defense in Transition.'"

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) just published a new report entitled The Second Wave: Return of the Militias that details the recent rise in right-wing militia activity in the United States, based largely on racism and a virulent anti-government, anti-immigrant agenda. While such groups were active in the 1990s, extremist movements subsided throughout the 2000s until now, according to SPLC. From the report: "Almost a decade after largely disappearing from public view, right-wing militias, ideologically driven tax defiers and sovereign citizens are appearing in large numbers around the country. 'Paper terrorism' — the use of property liens and citizens' 'courts' to harass enemies — is on the rise.

Heritage WebMemo #2156: Assessing Plans to Deploy U.S. Military on the Homeland Security Front

In this WebMemo from the Heritage Foundation, James Jay Carafano addresses the "speculation about announced Pentagon plans to deploy U.S. troops in the United States for homeland security missions and how the incoming Obama Administration might implement such a procedure." Carafano assesses that the current plans appear reasonable, but suggests that the top priority should be "strengthening the role and capabilities of the National Guard to conduct homeland security while also enhancing their capacity to respond to missions overseas." Suggested roles for the National Guard in catastrophic response include medical, security, critical infrastructure, and oversight.

Invisible Wounds of War: Quantifying the Societal Costs of Psychological and Cognitive Injuries
The RAND Corporation today released this additional testimony from its 'Invisible Wounds of War' series. Today's testimony from Christine Eibner, who is Co-Director of the project, discussed the quantification of the cost to American society of these types of injuries from our forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Please refer to the blog entry from June 11, 2008 to access the complete report and two additional congressional testimonies.

Strategic Plan for the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program: Fiscal Years 2008-2012
"This Strategic Plan for the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) for Fiscal Years 2008-2012 is submitted to Congress by the Interagency Coordinating Committee (ICC) of NEHRP, as required by the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977, as amended by Public Law 108-360. The Plan outlines a cooperative program of earthquake monitoring, research, implementation, education, and outreach activities performed by the NEHRP agencies. […] This Plan provides a straightforward and executable strategy for NEHRP. Website: http://www.nehrp.gov/

"In 2002, President Bush signed a new Unified Command Plan (UCP) establishing United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM) to provide command and control of the Department of Defense's (DOD's) homeland defense efforts and to coordinate military support to civil authorities. As a geographical combatant command, NORTHCOM has an area of responsibility that includes the continental United States, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, and surrounding waters out to approximately 500 nautical miles, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida. The NORTHCOM Commander also commands North American Aerospace Defense Command. NORTHCOM, headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, employs approximately 1,200 DOD civilians, contractors, and service members from each service component.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RL34342.pdf

The Commission on the National Guard and Reserves has published their report: Transforming the National Guard and Reserves into a 21st-Century Operational Force

http://www.cngr.gov/Final%20Report/CNGR%20Final%20Report.pdf

Revival of Previous Authority on Use of Armed Forces and Militia to Address Interference with State of Federal Law
http://leahy.senate.gov/issues/InsurrectionAct/Insurrection%20Act%202007...
National Guard Empowerment Act of 2007
http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200701/110thNationalGuard.pdf

The annual report, Privacy and Human Rights 2006, is produced by the Electronic Privacy Information Center and Privacy International. The report "reviews the state of privacy in more than 75 countries around the world. It outlines legal protections for privacy, and summarizes important issues and events relating to privacy and surveillance." The report is 1,100+ pages with 6000+ footnotes and can be read online in sections. The PI web site also has a page summarizing information on the leading surveillance societies in the EU and the World 2007.